NEW BEDFORD — Prior to Saturday's tournament game against rival New Bedford, GNB Voc-Tech senior Derek Lewis had a dream that his swing was off and he struggled against the Whalers.

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By DEREK VITAL

southcoasttoday.com

By DEREK VITAL

Posted May. 26, 2013 at 12:01 AM

By DEREK VITAL
Posted May. 26, 2013 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

NEW BEDFORD — Prior to Saturday's tournament game against rival New Bedford, GNB Voc-Tech senior Derek Lewis had a dream that his swing was off and he struggled against the Whalers.

Lewis' dream was far from reality.

The 6-foot-5 outside hitter set a single game school record for kills with 39 as the No. 6 Bears beat 11th-seeded New Bedford 22-25, 25-20, 25-21, 30-28 in opening round of the Div. 1 South Sectional.

GNB Voc-Tech (15-6) advances to the quarterfinals, where the Bears will hit the road for a matchup with third-seeded North Quincy at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

Lewis hasn't played against New Bedford at home since his sophomore year, being held out of the Bears' lineup each of the last two seasons for disciplinary reasons. The absence provided extra motivation for Lewis to come up with a big game versus the Whalers.

"To come here and beat them in the playoffs and break the record it doesn't get any better," said Lewis. "This is the game you dream for. This is better than playing the No. 1 seed. It's your rival, it's in your house."

The previous record of 30 kills was set by Chris Jorge in the 1990's and matched by Richie Gomes, GNB Voc-Tech's current head coach, in 2002. Gomes praised Lewis' effort in leading the Bears to the tourney win over their biggest rival.

"For him to come out in the playoffs and smash the record in incredible," said Gomes. "I'm extremely proud."

New Bedford (8-9) won the first set before the Bears were able to reel off three straight to secure the win. All four sets were extremely competitive with neither team winning by more than five points in a row.

The clinching fourth set included seven lead changes. The Whalers had a pair of set points, but couldn't close it out due to some unforced errors. New Bedford led 25-24 but the Whalers' dig attempt landed out of bounds. The Whalers also were ahead 26-25 but Justin Medeiros' serve was long. With the set knotted at 28-28, the Bears were finally able to string together consecutive points on a kill by Lewis and an ace by Andrew Bueno, clinching the win for GNB Voc-Tech.

"It's a game of runs," said New Bedford head coach Jeff Longo. "Whoever gets more points comes out on top. They were able to get those extra point when they needed to."

The Whalers jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the first set and were able to hold off a late charge by the Bears. Senior outside hitter Nathan Bates fed teammate Quincy Pope for a big spike, giving New Bedford a 12-6 lead. A net violation by the Bears gave New Bedford a 24-16 lead. GNB Voc-Tech reeled off six straight points capped off by a Lewis spike, trimming the Whalers' lead to 24-22. New Bedford was able to hold on when Lewis' return shot landed out of bounds, giving the Whalers a 25-22 win.

In the second set, the Bears took the lead for good at 6-5 when sophomore setter Cole McGarty fed Lewis for a thunderous spike. GNB Voc-Tech secured the 25-20 win when a return shot by Bates landed out of bounds.

The third set was a highly competitive affair with four lead changes. Neither team led by more than three points until the Bears reeled off five of the final six points to close out a 25-21 victory.

After the game, Gomes was pleased to come away with a hard-fought victory in the latest chapter of the storied rivalry.

"I was on the edge of my seat," said Gomes. "It was very close. It came down to who made less errors."

GOMES ON KEY TO VICTORY: "We really capitalized on what we could. We were super aggressive. We weren't letting any balls drop like we usually do. We were playing really good playoff volleyball. Both teams played really well, they just made a few more errors than we did."

BEARS WIN SEASON SERIES: GNB Voc-Tech clinched the Mayor's Cup with the playoff win against the Whalers. The rivals split their regular season showdowns with both teams winning at home.

HUGE CROWD FOR MATCHUP: Gomes said there were more than 500 fans in the stands for the showdown, harkening back to the heyday of the late 1990's and early 2000's when both squads were perennial state title contenders. "I don't think there's any cross-town rivalry in the state that is close to this with any sport," said Gomes. "A lot of people shy away from volleyball because they think it's a girls sport. Until you come experience it. There's no room to sit down in the stands, the fans are split right down the middle of the bleachers. On one side there's Voke and the other New Bedford High. You have crazy chants going back and forth. This was the best I've seen in awhile."